WEBVTT 00:00:05.056 --> 00:00:06.256 Hi, how are you doing? 00:00:06.256 --> 00:00:08.426 Justin here with another quick tip for you, 00:00:08.426 --> 00:00:10.956 and today it is: put on someone else's shoes, 00:00:10.956 --> 00:00:12.896 and I don't mean literally putting 00:00:12.896 --> 00:00:13.576 somebody else's shoes on. 00:00:13.576 --> 00:00:14.706 That would be a little bit weird! 00:00:14.726 --> 00:00:15.946 What I'm talking about here is 00:00:15.946 --> 00:00:18.226 getting a different perspective on things. 00:00:18.226 --> 00:00:20.316 Now this links back to the idea that I 00:00:20.316 --> 00:00:23.226 talked about previously about recording yourself 00:00:23.226 --> 00:00:25.366 Especially when you're recording yourself, 00:00:25.366 --> 00:00:27.186 sometimes it can be difficult 00:00:27.186 --> 00:00:28.406 to be objective. 00:00:28.406 --> 00:00:30.476 Songwriters have it a lot, you know, 00:00:30.476 --> 00:00:32.226 you've written a tune and you're 00:00:32.226 --> 00:00:33.256 listening back to it, and you're trying 00:00:33.256 --> 00:00:35.626 to figure it out if it's good or not. 00:00:35.626 --> 00:00:38.156 There's lots of instances; whether you like 00:00:38.156 --> 00:00:40.226 a particular solo, a song, 00:00:40.226 --> 00:00:43.326 a bridge, the melody, the sound. 00:00:43.326 --> 00:00:45.316 One of the things I find really helpful 00:00:45.316 --> 00:00:46.276 I do all the time is 00:00:46.276 --> 00:00:47.856 put on somebody's else's shoes, 00:00:47.856 --> 00:00:50.096 or more particularly, close to the point, 00:00:50.096 --> 00:00:52.426 putting on somebody's else's ears. 00:00:52.426 --> 00:00:54.176 So if I'm doing a mix, say, 00:00:54.176 --> 00:00:57.346 I try and imagine myself a good buddy, Reese, 00:00:57.346 --> 00:00:59.446 who always used to pull up an amazing mix. 00:00:59.446 --> 00:01:00.879 When I'm mixing a song, 00:01:00.879 --> 00:01:02.929 after I've done what I think it is, 00:01:02.929 --> 00:01:04.529 I'll sit there and go, 00:01:04.529 --> 00:01:06.279 "Now what would Reese say?" 00:01:06.279 --> 00:01:08.809 I'm trying to listen with his ears, 00:01:08.809 --> 00:01:10.389 and I'll go, "He's going to say 00:01:10.389 --> 00:01:11.649 that the kick drum's too loud, 00:01:11.649 --> 00:01:13.539 or there's not enough sizzle in the hats, 00:01:13.539 --> 00:01:14.879 or the guitar's too loud, 00:01:14.879 --> 00:01:16.889 or the vocal needs to come up. 00:01:16.889 --> 00:01:19.619 By imagining myself being somebody else, 00:01:19.619 --> 00:01:21.249 it changes stuff. 00:01:21.249 --> 00:01:24.069 It's a really effective tool, 00:01:24.069 --> 00:01:27.409 and it's a very odd one. 00:01:27.409 --> 00:01:30.129 I found it on a previous record I was doing, 00:01:30.129 --> 00:01:31.789 I was working with a producer 00:01:31.789 --> 00:01:33.209 who used to call guitar solos 00:01:33.209 --> 00:01:36.369 with too many notes "Ernie", 00:01:36.369 --> 00:01:38.769 whether there was too much "Ernie" involved. 00:01:38.769 --> 00:01:39.809 So that's something I still use 00:01:39.809 --> 00:01:43.099 if I'm recording a guitar solo 00:01:43.099 --> 00:01:45.429 either for myself or someone else's record, 00:01:45.429 --> 00:01:47.509 when I'm listening back to it I'm thinking, 00:01:47.509 --> 00:01:49.509 now is there too much "Ernie" in it, 00:01:49.509 --> 00:01:51.539 is there too much little widdly bits, 00:01:51.539 --> 00:01:52.419 or is it okay? 00:01:52.419 --> 00:01:54.299 Because you get attached to stuff, 00:01:54.299 --> 00:01:55.729 as a guitar player, I'm like, 00:01:55.729 --> 00:01:57.989 that's a really awesome lick, 00:01:57.989 --> 00:01:59.589 but you gotta think of it from 00:01:59.589 --> 00:02:00.769 the song perspective. 00:02:00.769 --> 00:02:02.469 Is that lick fitting the song? 00:02:02.469 --> 00:02:03.579 No matter how cool it is, 00:02:03.579 --> 00:02:06.519 if it's in the wrong song, it's not cool anymore. 00:02:06.519 --> 00:02:10.049 By stepping back out from myself, 00:02:10.049 --> 00:02:12.109 and trying to be objective with what I'm doing, 00:02:12.109 --> 00:02:13.799 I'm going, okay, is that really 00:02:13.799 --> 00:02:15.079 the right thing there? 00:02:15.079 --> 00:02:18.079 Is that right or should I change it? 00:02:18.079 --> 00:02:22.019 What would Thessa say, with "Ernie"? 00:02:22.019 --> 00:02:25.329 For songwriting, it's something I do all the time. 00:02:25.329 --> 00:02:26.829 When I'm writing a tune, 00:02:26.829 --> 00:02:27.674 and I've recorded it, 00:02:27.674 --> 00:02:28.769 I listen back to it, 00:02:28.769 --> 00:02:29.839 and I start listening back to it 00:02:29.839 --> 00:02:31.189 as if I was other people, 00:02:31.189 --> 00:02:33.069 depending on what kind of tune it is, 00:02:33.069 --> 00:02:34.599 or how I'm feeling, 00:02:34.599 --> 00:02:36.629 or who I'm respecting at the time. 00:02:36.629 --> 00:02:38.629 I'm always trying to pick people 00:02:38.629 --> 00:02:41.449 that I really respect and whose ears I admire, 00:02:41.449 --> 00:02:45.329 and go, well, is that bridge really good enough? 00:02:45.329 --> 00:02:46.739 Is it linking in okay? 00:02:46.739 --> 00:02:48.659 And I'll be going, well, it is and it isn't, 00:02:48.659 --> 00:02:50.709 and of course because I created it, 00:02:50.709 --> 00:02:52.669 I'm already attached to it emotionally. 00:02:52.669 --> 00:02:55.049 Stepping back and going, okay, 00:02:55.049 --> 00:02:57.269 what would James Taylor be thinking, 00:02:57.269 --> 00:02:58.539 if he was doing that? 00:02:58.539 --> 00:03:01.549 Do you think it would work for him? 00:03:01.549 --> 00:03:03.929 Trying to step back away from the things, 00:03:03.929 --> 00:03:06.369 it really increases your perspective, 00:03:06.369 --> 00:03:07.799 because as musicians, 00:03:07.799 --> 00:03:10.679 we get attached to stuff. 00:03:11.479 --> 00:03:12.449 I always feel bad 00:03:12.449 --> 00:03:14.229 if I'm critiquing somebody's song, 00:03:14.229 --> 00:03:16.739 because it's like calling their kid ugly. 00:03:16.739 --> 00:03:18.799 No matter how ugly your kids are, 00:03:18.799 --> 00:03:20.649 you don't want hear that they're ugly. 00:03:20.649 --> 00:03:21.939 They're still beautiful to you, 00:03:21.939 --> 00:03:23.909 and it's the same with writing a song. 00:03:23.909 --> 00:03:25.379 You're attached to it. 00:03:25.379 --> 00:03:26.979 You don't want to hear from somebody 00:03:26.979 --> 00:03:28.219 that your song is no good. 00:03:28.219 --> 00:03:30.799 So rather than try to embarrass somebody 00:03:30.799 --> 00:03:32.239 by asking them for a critique, 00:03:32.239 --> 00:03:34.499 you can try and be the critic yourself, 00:03:34.499 --> 00:03:36.399 and go, let's get really honest here, 00:03:36.399 --> 00:03:38.229 and if I was playing it to this guy, 00:03:38.229 --> 00:03:39.759 what would they say? 00:03:39.759 --> 00:03:42.479 What would they hear that I'm not hearing? 00:03:42.479 --> 00:03:44.709 Is it good enough, really, you know? 00:03:44.709 --> 00:03:46.999 This is a really, really cool technique. 00:03:46.999 --> 00:03:50.859 I've been using it for at least 10 or 15 years. 00:03:50.859 --> 00:03:52.849 I've been trying to step out 00:03:52.849 --> 00:03:54.829 from my own perspective to listen. 00:03:54.829 --> 00:03:56.659 It nearly always fixes stuff, 00:03:56.659 --> 00:03:58.979 even things that I wouldn't have noticed, 00:03:58.979 --> 00:04:02.369 stuff that, maybe because I've played it 00:04:02.369 --> 00:04:03.559 and I'm involved, or maybe 00:04:03.559 --> 00:04:04.859 I just wouldn't have thought of it, 00:04:04.859 --> 00:04:07.269 until I step into that other mode. 00:04:07.469 --> 00:04:09.059 Well, I hope this little quick tip 00:04:09.059 --> 00:04:10.999 increases your persepective on music. 00:04:10.999 --> 00:04:13.026 It's a really cool idea, do give it a try. 00:04:13.026 --> 00:04:15.046 I'll see you for plenty more lessons, 00:04:15.046 --> 00:04:16.516 and quick tips, and songs, 00:04:16.516 --> 00:04:17.826 and all kinds of stuff very soon. 00:04:17.826 --> 00:04:19.766 Take care of yourselves, bye bye.